Police announced on Monday that an American tourist, aged 55, was discovered deceased on the Greek island of Mathraki. This incident marks the third visitor fatality within a week amid an extraordinary heatwave.
Earlier in the month, as the vacation period commenced, temperatures climbed beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), affecting Greece’s secluded beaches, historic landmarks, and alpine paths.
A wave of early heat has corresponded with numerous tourists going missing or dying across the Mediterranean nation, underscoring the perils associated with exposure to extreme heat.
“There is a common pattern – they all went for a hike amid high temperatures,” Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the Southern Aegean, told Reuters.
After a comprehensive four-day search involving planes, drones, and vessels, the remains of the British television host Michael Mosley were discovered on Symi island on June 9. He had ventured out for a solitary walk amid soaring temperatures prior to his vanishing.
Police did not share the identity of the dead American, whose body was found near a beach on Mathraki on Sunday. He was transferred to the island of Corfu where an autopsy will be carried out, a police official told Reuters.
On Saturday, a Dutch tourist aged 74 was discovered deceased on Samos island, and two trekkers were located lifeless on Crete on June 5.
Search squads are on the lookout for two French females, 73 and 64 years old, on Sikinos island, as well as a 59-year-old American police officer on Amorgos.
“Two search missions are currently underway on different islands. Officers, firefighters, and volunteers are in action, with the support of a drone and a search dog,” stated Vassilakis.
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